Page 36

"What's going on?" Yue Bin and Lu Chi looked at each other. Yue Bin instinctively swung himself onto a horse and urged it forward.

Lu Chi lagged behind. After thinking it over, he placed Miao Miao on the adult mare he had picked out, then mounted as well, holding Miao Miao in his arms as he leisurely urged the horse forward.

Seeing this, Leilei tilted his head and blinked, then trotted along behind them.

Only when they got closer did Lu Chi finally understand what had happened.

Qiao Shiyu and several of her best friends had been walking their horses around the track when they were suddenly surrounded by a group of sketchy young men. Riding back and forth past Qiao Shiyu and the girls, they kept whistling and brushing close to them. One even reached out to play with one of the girls' hair, frightening Qiao Shiyu and the others badly. Their screams immediately caught Zhang Yang and the other boys' attention.

Thinking the girls' leisurely horseback riding was too slow and boring, the dozen or so boys had only gone around with them a few times before heading to another part of the track to race each other. Those guys had either arrived later or assumed that, because they had more people, Zhang Yang's group was nothing to worry about. When they were surrounded and told to apologize, they responded with foul mouths, so Zhang Yang and several others yanked them straight off their horses.

By the time Lu Chi and Yue Bin arrived, the two groups were locked in a tense standoff. The foul-mouthed guy who had been dragged from his horse had been knocked senseless by the fall, and the moment he got up, he wanted to hit someone. But then he realized that every one of Zhang Yang's boys was tall and powerfully built. Several were basketball recruits standing over six foot three. In a shoving match, he was no match for them.

The youths trapped in the middle immediately changed expressions. "What are you doing? You trying to start a fight?"

"I think you're the one asking for it!" Xing Yuan slapped the back of the punk's head and, craning his neck, said one word at a time, "A-pol-o-gize."

Xing Yuan was actually feeling a little embarrassed. Just earlier in the locker room, he had been complaining to Lu Chi and the others that Qiao Shiyu was both his neighbor and his childhood classmate. He had liked Qiao, the school beauty, for years, but she had never looked twice at him...

Now that he thought about it, Qiao, the school beauty, had been right not to like him. With so many boys around, they had still failed to protect the girls. Not only had the girls been harassed, they had also been frightened. If they couldn't beat these guys into submission, they boys would be too ashamed to face anyone.

"Why should we apologize? We just wanted to make friends with a few pretty girls. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it?"

"You still dare talk?" Xing Yuan stepped forward and shoved the foul-mouthed guy again. This time, prepared for it, the guy immediately shoved him back. His movements were practiced—he clearly fought often.

"That's enough. We don't feel like wasting our time arguing with a bunch of little kids like you. If we really fight, I can take on three of you by myself." The foul-mouthed guy reached up and took off his helmet, and only then did everyone see that he had dyed yellow hair.

Xing Yuan walked over and casually brought his hand down on him, taking advantage of his height. With a sharp smack, Yellow Hair howled and clutched his head. Xing Yuan looked down at him and said, "Cut the fucking crap. Today, you either apologize, or this isn't over!"

Before Xing Yuan had even finished speaking, several boys stepped forward and closed in. Seeing the situation, the other group's expressions changed again. One of them forced a smile. "What's so impressive about fighting? How about we race instead? Meet at XXX at nine tonight. If you win, we'll apologize. But if we win..."

His gaze swept over Qiao Shiyu and the other girls, then over the boys glaring at them like tigers. He forcibly swallowed the crude suggestion that the girls drink with them and said, "Then this matter is over. Sound good?"

The moment he finished speaking, Zhang Yang and the others' faces darkened. Seeing that, the group immediately broke into smug smiles.

Lu Chi didn't understand. He quietly asked Yue Bin, "What does that mean?"

Yue Bin's expression was equally grave as he explained in a low voice, "They're underground Street Racers."

Lu Chi suddenly understood. So this "race" was not that "race." No wonder Zhang Yang and the others' expressions had changed. They were probably worried about getting involved with criminals, especially these rich street-racing types. But...

Lu Chi blinked and asked in confusion, "Street racing is illegal, isn't it?"

Yue Bin: "..."

Zhang Yang: "..."

The students: "..."

The Street Racers: "..."

Lu Chi scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Nine tonight, at XX... How about we call 110 and report them? They said it so smoothly. This must be a long-term gathering spot for their illegal activities, right?"

Yue Bin: "..."

Zhang Yang: "..."

The students: "..."

The Street Racers: "..."

What the hell did he mean, a long-term gathering spot for illegal activities? They were just street racing. Why did he make it sound like an illegal pyramid scheme?

Yellow Hair, who had earlier been smacked on the head by Xing Yuan, could no longer stand it. He snapped, "Are you even men? You're all so tall and built, but I didn't expect you to be such cowards. I'll put it plainly: if you want to stand up for the pretty girls, fine, I'm giving you the chance. But if you chicken out and don't dare race, don't blame us for looking down on you."

"So, are you racing or not?"

Several boys were angered and embarrassed by Yellow Hair's taunting and were about to impulsively agree when Lu Chi said unhurriedly, "Of course we're not racing. You can race, but we won't. Why should we join a bunch of idiotic racing bros in doing illegal stuff? If the police catch us and notify the school, you repeat offenders might not care, but if we get publicly criticized by the school or even receive a major demerit, who are we supposed to complain to?" Besides, the school would definitely unleash its ultimate move: summoning the parents...

Lu Chi's words reminded Zhang Yang and the other high school students. Their expressions turned solemn, and their impulsiveness vanished. The underground Street Racers, meanwhile, were so tangled up by Lu Chi's tongue twister that their heads spun, though they vaguely understood that he was insulting them.

Holding Lu Miaomiao in his arms atop the horse, Lu Chi looked down at them and said, "Gentlemen, I'll give you a suggestion too: either apologize, or we'll have people watch you. The moment we see you street racing illegally, we'll call the police. What do you think?"